Grapevine Plant Named &#39;Crimson Cabernet&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct, self rooted, variety of grapevine, “Crimson Cabernet”, from a cross of “Cabernet Sauvignon” and “Norton”, which can be distinguished by its outstanding wine combined with high productivity, disease resistance, and cold hardiness superior to its acclaimed parent “Cabernet Sauvignon”.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Vitis spp hybrid. (“Cabernet Sauvignon” crossed with “Norton”)

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

“Crimson Cabernet”

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most grape varieties used for production of high quality wines around the world are of the species Vitis Vinifera. These V. Vinifera varieties, when cultivated in northern regions of the United States with a continental climate are often subject to serious injury or death from low temperatures during winter. V. Vinifera must also be grafted onto an American rootstock in order to be grown successfully. Although several wild Vitis species occur in colder regions of North America and eastern Asia, the wine made from these species generally has serious defects. Thus, a great need existed for grape plants that would combine the superior wine quality of V. Vinifera with the cold weather resistance and disease resistance of wild species yet be free of their unpleasant wild flavors. A grape breeding program conducted by Lucian W. Dressel at Davis, Calif. and at Winters, Calif. from 2000 to 2002 developed such varieties by combining various V. Vinifera with the native grape plant known as “Norton” (aka Cynthiana).

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a new and distinct variety of grape plant designated ‘Crimson Cabernet’ which produced dark black fruit highly suitable for red wine production, and has a combination of high wine quality, excellent cold hardiness, disease resistance, good productivity, and does not need to be grafted. It has proven to be well adapted to various states including California, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Iowa. Crimson Cabernet resulted from a cross of “Cabernet Sauvignon” and “Norton” made in 2001 in Winters, Calif.

Crimson Cabernet propagates moderately well from hardwood cuttings. Once rooted however the young plants quickly become established, and all Crimson Cabernet plants propagated in this manner have been genetically stable, producing only dark black fruit with dark reddish bluish juice. The vines of Crimson Cabernet have an abundance of tendrils and easily adapt themselves to a high wire cordon trellis system. Canes have a drooping growth attitude and are easily combed and trained. The bud break and bloom of Crimson Cabernet are very late, typically after that of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Norton. Its flowers are perfect and self fertile. Crimson Cabernet vines typically set a moderate to heavy crop. The fruit of Crimson Cabernet is borne on medium sized clusters that are tight, compact and have a small very detached wing when mature. The peduncles are Norton-like being very long. Where the five main veins join the petiole, the base of the veins (on the back side of the leaves) has a distinctive red color that forms a five pointed red “star”. The berries are small to medium in size with a waxy bloom at maturity. Berry splitting and bunch rot have not been observed to date, nor has crown gall. In commercial vineyards on a normal spray schedule no disease problems have been noted from Black Rot, Downey Mildew, Powdery Mildew, or any other fungus disease or insects. Resistance to Pierce's Disease is unknown, but is being tested in Louisiana.

The fruit of Crimson Cabernet can be fermented to produce a dry red wine that can be barrel aged to produce a wine in the classic style of a red Bordeaux or California Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has none of the flavors associated with wines made from either French Hybrid grapes or V. Labrusca varieties. Crimson Cabernet's wine is deep crimson red and bright. The nose is reminiscent of cassis, dried cherries, and cedar, with some hints of evergreen. The taste is full bodied, clean, spicy with hints of rosemary, blackberries and currents.

Crimson Cabernet is much more cold hardy than its parent Cabernet Sauvignon and has the advantage of being self rooted so that even if the plant is killed to the ground it can be renewed from an underground sucker, unlike Cabernet Sauvignon. Unlike its other parent, Norton, its growth habits are quite orderly and manageable and Crimson Cabernet does not have to be grown on a double curtain system to be profitable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1—CrimCabLeafFront—A photograph showing the front view of a Crimson Cabernet leaf.

FIG. 2—CrimCabLeafRear—A photograph showing the rear view of a Crimson Cabernet leaf.

FIG. 3—CrimCabVine—A photograph showing trunk, canes, leaves and fruit after version in 2006.

FIG. 4—CrimCabBunches—A photograph of Crimson Cabernet showing a close up of three typical fruit cluster after version, Aug. 31, 2006.

FIG. 5. CrimCabGrowTip—A photograph from Jul. 27, 2007 showing the growing tip, tendrils and shoot from Crimson Cabernet.

FIG. 6. CrimCabWing—A photograph showing a typical bunch from Crimson Cabernet with a satellite wing.

The colors in the photographs are as close as possible with the photographic and printing technology utilized. The color values cited in the detailed botanical description accurately describe the colors of the new grape.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following descriptions of Crimson Cabernet apply to vines planted at the Mary Michelle Winery in Carrollton, Ill. in 2004. When dimensions, sizes, colors and other characteristics are given, it is to be understood that such characteristics and approximations set forth as accurately as possible. Variations of the usual magnitude incident to climatic factors, fertilization, pruning, pest control and other cultural practices are to be expected.

The colors referred to in this abstract are those of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, copyrighted 2005

-   Vine: -   General:     -   -   Size.—The test grapevines of Crimson Cabernet are planted             approximately 8 feet apart down the row and 10 feet apart             between the rows. The vine canopy extends from 0.75 meters             to 1.0 meters out in to the row. The vines are in their             fourth leaf.         -   Vigor.—When first planted, much more vigorous than Norton.             When mature equally vigorous as Cabernet Sauvignon but             without the rampant and unruly growth habits of Norton.         -   Productivity.—Productive, bearing 4 to 6 tons per acre             depending on pruning and growing conditions. -   Trunk:     -   -   Surface texture.—Rough textured and furrowed and only             slightly shaggy.         -   Bark color.—Brownish. Varies from 200A to 202A.         -   Trunk circumference.—Very straight, round, and uniform in             diameter ranging from 2.4 cm to 2.7 cm at 40 cm height from             ground to 2.2 cm to 2.5 cm at 600 cm from the ground. -   Mature canes: -   Size:     -   -   Thickness.—Canes that arise from dormant spurs vary from 6             mm to 14 mm at 5 cm to 40 cm from bud. Canes are relatively             uniform in width, like Norton and do not taper like Vidal.         -   Surface.—Smooth often finely striated.         -   Color.—Canes are reddish brown on top (45A) and light green             underneath (145A).         -   Internode length.—Varies widely depending on type of arm,             position on vine and the nature of the bud from which each             cane arose. From 3 cm to 4 cm on smaller shorter arms and             laterals and from 10 cm to 15 on larger canes. Varies from 9             to 14 cm on the stronger upper suncanes and from 3 to 5 cm             on lateral canes. -   Tendrils: Relatively long ranging from 14 to 30 cm.     -   -   Diameter.—Varies from 1.0 to 2.0 mm in thickness measured at             the base of the tendril.         -   Distribution.—Discontinuous.         -   Form.—Predominately bifid, although trifid tendrils may be             present.         -   Color.—Reddish brown (45A). -   Growing tips: Straight, and uniformly green (137C) -   Leaves: -   Mature leaves:     -   -   General.—Like its parent Norton, the leaves of Crimson             Cabernet can have a wide variety of shapes and sizes on the             same plant. Variations can be caused by the age of the vine,             the location where grown, the weather and any number of             other factors.         -   Average blade length.—11 cm as measured from the apex of the             center leaf lobe to the petiole junction.         -   Size of blade.—Large, usually having 5 lobes.         -   Shape.—Orbicular. Galet coordinates: 035-2-48.         -   Shape of teeth along leaf margins.—Convex.         -   Length of teeth along leaf margins.—Medium to large and             variable, 6 to 14 mm in length.         -   General shape of petiole sinus.—V shaped on young leaves.             Mature leaves' petiolar sinuses show a tennis racket shape.         -   Shape of upper leaf sinus.—Varies from open V shaped to             closed overlapping pattern typical of Cabernet Sauvignon             where sinuses appear like holes in the leaf. -   Leaf color:     -   -   Upper leaf surface.—Glabrous, rough (137C).         -   Lower leaf surface.—Rather dull and lighter in intensity of             color (137C).         -   Upper leaf veins.—Yellowish-green (2C) with a blush of red             color on the five main veins (44A) from the petiole junction             to the first main vein.         -   Lower leaf veins.—The color of the five main veins from the             petiole sinus to the first branching vein is distinctly red             (44A), beyond which they are yellow-green (2C).         -   Surface texture.—Rough, glabrous.         -   Surface appearance.—Dull.         -   Lower surface texture.—Rough, dull. -   Leaf petiole:     -   -   Length of petiole.—12 cm.         -   Petiole thickness.—3.0 to 4.0 mm measured at mid petiole.         -   Petiole shape.—glabrous, smooth.         -   Petiole color.—Reddish-brown (172A).         -   Length of petiole compared to mid vein.—on average about the             same length. -   Floral cluster description:     -   -   Bloom timing.—Varies widely from year to year. Generally             late, slightly after Norton. May 10^(th) in 2006.         -   Cluster form.—conical usually with wings.         -   Clusters per shoot.—usually three.         -   Floral cluster length.—average 80 cm.         -   Floral cluster width.—average 30 cm.         -   Cluster peduncles.—length 10 to 12 cm, thickness 3.0 to 4.0             cm.         -   Inflorescence.—Hermaphroditic.         -   Floral stamens.—Upright with normal size anthers.         -   Pollen amount.—Abundant.         -   Pollen color.—Pale yellow.         -   Calyptras separation from the flower base.—Complete.         -   Duration of bloom.—Average 10 to 12 days depending on             ambient temperatures during the bloom period. -   Fruit description—primary clusters:     -   -   Date of maturity.—Sep. 9, 2006 in west central Illinois.         -   Bunch size.—medium.         -   Bunch length.—12 to 25 cm, not including the peduncle.         -   Bunch width.—10 to 15 cm.         -   Bunch form.—Conical with a noticeable satellite wing.             Whereas Norton will abandon 90% of its wings leaving a scar             in its very long peduncle, Crimson Cabernet will usually             bear a small round cluster of grapes.         -   Bunch weight.—Average from 90 to 150 gm.         -   Bunch density.—Tight like Norton.         -   Peduncle length.—Long like Norton from 5 to 8 cm.         -   Peduncle thickness.—Ranges from 3.0 to 5.0 cm at the             peduncle base.         -   Berry form.—Round.         -   Cross sectional view berry form.—Globose.         -   Berry size.—small to medium 10 to 12 mm in diameter.         -   Berry weight.—2 to 5 gm.         -   Berry uniformity.—Excellent.         -   Berry pedicle.—small to medium size.         -   Length.—5 to 6 mm.         -   Thickness.—1 to 2 mm.         -   Attachment.—Very strong with no shatter at commercial             maturity.         -   Berry skin color.—Black with waxy bloom. 100% colored.         -   Berry skin thickness.—Medium.         -   Berry skin surface texture.—Smooth and glabrous.         -   Berry skin, tenacity to flesh.—Skin is tenacious to the             flesh.         -   Berry skin, tendency to crack.—Has never shown any cracking.         -   Berry skin, reticulation.—Surface is smooth with no             reticulations present.         -   Berry color.—Black (202A).         -   Berry surfaces.—Uniformly covered with a waxy, grayish             bloom.         -   Berry flesh color.—Light translucent green (145C).         -   Juiciness of flesh.—Similar to standard commercial wine             varieties. Much juicier than Norton, not as juicy as             Cabernet Sauvignon.         -   Berry firmness.—Very firm.         -   Berry juice.—clear, light and slightly pinkish at crushing.         -   Solids-sugar percentage (at maturity).—22.0 on Sep. 12,             2006.         -   pH of berry juice.—3.18 on Sep. 12, 2006.         -   Titratable acidity.—7.75 gm/liter.         -   Seed.—Viable, 3 to 4 per berry, average size and shape             for V. Vinifera.         -   Flavor.—Good, tart, sweet, typical V. Vinifera red wine             grape flavor.         -   Aroma.—Typical crushed red wine grape aroma. No wild aromas. -   Secondary bunches: Almost no secondary bunches have been observed in     normal years with no spring frost. -   Comparison between parental and commercial cultivars: The physical     appearance of the vine of Crimson Cabernet more closely resembles     that of its parent Cabernet Sauvignon. Like Cabernet Sauvignon the     leaves of Crimson Cabernet are more modest in size and show fewer     variations than do the leaves of its parent Norton. The growth     habits are more orderly than Norton and it can produce normal crops     of between 4 to 6 tons per acre without having to be grown on a     double curtain trellis system. Crimson Cabernet is far more     resistant to the endemic vine diseases of the eastern US than     Cabernet Sauvignon and it can be grown on its own roots. The berries     and bunches are much larger than Norton and the berries have fewer     seeds making wine making easier. -   Comparison between cabernet diane and crimson cabernet: -   The vines: Cabernet Diane and Crimson Cabernet are sister vines from     the same cross of Norton×Cabernet Sauvignon and as expected would     have many features in common. Each is a distinctly different vine,     however, both in the vineyard and in wine character. Grown side by     side the most noticeable difference is in the leaves. Most of the     leaves of Crimson Cabernet are lobed, somewhat like its parent     Cabernet Sauvignon, although some non lobed leaves are always     present. Cabernet Diane is the exact opposite with most of its     leaves being non lobed although it has the occasional lobed leaf.     The petioles of Cabernet Diane also tend to be much redder in color     than those of Crimson Cabernet. -   The fruit: The bunches of Crimson Cabernet tend to be conical and     usually have a small satellite wing. The bunches of Cabernet Diane     are more triangular in shape. -   The wine: Crimson Cabernet's wine is soft and smooth, early maturing     and resembles that of Merlot. Cabernet Diane's wine is spicier and     often has a bouquet not unlike that of Cabernet Franc with a slight     pleasant aroma of the wood from pencil shavings. 

1. The new and distinct variety of grape vine herein described and illustrated and identified by the characteristics enumerated above (application Ser. No. 11/978,501). 